Halloween 1983
by trek-grrrl
Summary: Response to Jo Z. Pierce's fanfic challenge. Fluffy fun. Humans, Dogs and Cats. A new friend joins the Hinkley household. Costarring Rufus! Oneshot.


Hallowe'en 1983

(Author's Note: This is an answer to the recent GAH fanfic challenge, posted by Jo Z. Pierce on the GAH Fan Fiction Forum. It uses the sentences **"Was that a black cat? Or a tuxedo?"** and **It looked like it had a white goatee**. It's a sweet little story, fluff really, suited for the entire family. _Italics_ indicate when the non-Human characters are "talking." Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with GAH or its characters, and no money whatsoever is being made in the writing of this tale. Special thanks to "and her magical cat roscoe" for the loan of her original character Rufus!)

"Ralph, I can't believe I let you talk me into this!" Bill Maxwell whispered to his best friend and partner, Ralph Hinkley.

They and Ralph's wife, Pam Hinkley, walked behind the passle of kids they were escorting to a Hallowe'en party at a local chapter of the Los Angeles Humane Society.

"Oh, c'mon, Bill, it's for the kids! When they put that notice up at school that they were looking for adult chaperones for this big Hallowe'en and adoption party, I couldn't resist! This is the place we got Rufus from, after all, so I thought of you joining us, so the folks at the Humane Society could see how happy he is with you!"

Mentioning Bill's beloved pet brought a smile to the older partner's face, and he looked down at the big puppy tethered to a leash hooked over his wrist. Rufus was an older puppy now, not the little ten-pound bundle of joy he'd met last Christmas, but he was still awkward, galumphing and all leg. He was itching to pull ahead of the three Humans, but he had been well-trained at obedience school. His Bill had told him to heel, so heel he would. Even if he didn't want to.

"You okay there, buddy?" Bill asked.

"_Fine as can be, Bill!"_ Rufus said with a yip, slobbering his tongue out and smiling as he knew his Bill liked. _"C'mon, faster, let's go faster, so much to see, so much to SMELL!"_

But, as usual, his Bill didn't understand completely. So many times he felt he was getting through to his Bill. They were good at reading one another now. Rufus always knew when Bill was on his way home, at whatever hour of the day or night. Sometimes his Bill would bring him along for the day, in whatever smelly car his boss had issued to him for the week. Those days were to be cherished, because sadly, sometimes he had to go stay at Uncle Ralph's and Aunt Pam's if they were going to be gone for a long time. Aunt Pam always eased the distress with some special-made gingerbread biscuits he knew and loved from his first day amongst these Humans.

As the group of adults, children and Rufus walked along, the familiar smells permeated the puppy's memories.

_Oh NO, not here again! No! Are they leaving me here?_ He pulled away from Bill when he realized where they were going. _I can't, I can't, don't make me go in there, Bill, please, no, no!_

"Rufus, what's wrong?" Bill said when his dog began backing away, straining to run from them. He stopped because the puppy had, and he wouldn't drag him along.

"Kids, wait up!" Ralph said, with Pam stepping ahead to keep the younger kids gathered about her. "Mr. Maxwell's puppy is fussing."

The kids moved closer to see what was distressing the puppy, and Bill held his hand up to stop them.

"Stay back, kids, he's really scared."

The whites of Rufus' eyes were showing as his fear overwhelmed him.

Bill hunkered down on his legs, so he was eye-level with him. "What's the matter, buddy? You okay?"

Rufus pulled away even harder, and the leash threatened to slip off Bill's wrist. He quickly hefted the big puppy into his arms, to keep him from breaking away into traffic.

"Whoa, fella, c'mon! It's all right, ol' Bill's here to protect you!" He started humming in a deep tone, which he knew always calmed Rufus when the puppy was scared or stressed.

"_But… but…"_ the puppy whined, looking to the Humane Society's building, then down from where they'd walked, trying to decide if he should continue to be scared, or trust his Bill. When the Human snuggled his nose against the loose skin on the puppy's neck, making more snuggly noises, the puppy couldn't help but respond with a wagging tail.

"There, that's my guy," Bill murmured. "It's all right, bud, really. I know it's scary and smelly, but you'll be leaving with me again, I promise."

Rufus didn't understand the words as much as he did the tone of voice, which was always so kind and gentle from his Bill.

Bill kept Rufus in his arms as the group continued to the front door. The barking dogs and yeowing cats made Rufus shiver, torn between being scared once more and excitement over exploring the smells permeating the building and surrounding grounds.

The FBI agent, still holding the shivering puppy, remained behind as Ralph, Pam and the kids were led into a big room. A party was in full-swing, with animals being carefully watched by staff while the kids fondled and talked to each of them. Being a "no kill" facility, the staff was hoping that some of the kids, with parents' approval, might be able to adopt some of the worthy animals and give them a new and loving home.

Bill saw Ralph talking to one woman, and turning to point at him and Rufus.

"Mr. Maxwell! You brought him, I'm so glad!" she said when she realized who the big red-haired puppy was. She ran to him, holding out her hand for the puppy to smell and reacquaint himself with her.

"_Louise! My first friend here!" _he barked, his mouth slobbering and tail wagging furiously. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all, if he got to see Louise!

Bill smiled down at the middle-aged woman, who so obviously knew what a fine animal his Rufus was. "Yes, ma'am, Ralph and Pam here convinced me I'd want to come, so you folks could see Rufus again and how well he's doing."

She was patting and pounding the puppy enthusiastically, knowing how he liked it, and Rufus was shaking again, this time with joy.

"Rufus, honey, we've got someone that wants to see you!" She pointed behind her, and a young teen, about fourteen years old, came forward with another large puppy in her arms. The dog had similar hair color to Rufus, with added white patches, looking almost like stripes.

"This is Rufus' sister, Mr. Maxwell. We named her Candee Cane because it was so close to the Christmas holiday. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to place her yet. She's such a sweet girl, too. My hope is that we'll be able to find someone as good to her as you've been to Rufus!"

The two puppies stretched out their noses when they spied one another, and the familiar and familial smells hit them simultaneously.

"_SISTER!"_ Rufus exclaimed. He wrestled in Bill's arms, trying his best to free himself, desperate to get to his sister. She was doing the same thing, telling the Human holding her, over and over, _"Let me DOWN, I need to smell Brother!"_

"Go ahead and let them go, they remember each other apparently!" Louise said, motioning to the girl holding Candee.

The two puppies met in a frenzy of lapping, tussling and sniffing, getting to know one another all over again. They yipped and yapped, clearly communicating and catching up on what had transpired since the months between.

_How are you, Brother?_

_I'm great, Sister! Bill's the bestest Human in the world, I was so lucky when Unc' Ralph found me and brought me home!_

_I hope I find a Human as good as yours, Brother,_ Candee said sadly.

_I'm sure you will, Sis. It doesn't seem so bad here. That was a nice Human carrying you in._ He looked around the front greeting area, his nose twitching to catch every odor. _Ew, cats!_

_Cats, I know. They're yucky. Yeah, she's nice. All of them are nice. Louise turned away Humans a few times looking at me. She didn't think they were good enough,_ she added proudly.

_If Louise doesn't think so, then they're not. She's good at knowing other Humans. She knew Unc' Ralph and Aunt Pam were good folks, didn't she? Now she's got to meet my Bill._

The puppies were so caught up in their reunion that they didn't notice Pam and Ralph had wandered into the inner area, where the caged cats were kept.

"Oh, Ralph, look at this one!" Pam exclaimed when she saw the older kitten. He was mostly black, with white nose, mustache, chin and chest. His fur ensemble was capped off by four perfectly white paws, looking like little shoes slipped on him.

Ralph had moved down the line of cages, smiling and talking quietly to the occupants, when Pam's comment caught his attention. He looked back at her, moving his head to see what cat she was pointing to.

"On Hallowe'en? Was that a black cat? Or a tuxedo?" he laughed, because the kitten looked like he'd attired himself just for the holiday.

Pam laughed, "Could be a tuxedo!" She poked her fingers in, letting the kitten rub contentedly against them, his purring vibrating the metal bars. "He's so sweet, look at him, Ralph!"

Her husband knew that tone, and slowly walked back, watching the Human and cat sharing the moment.

"Now, Pamela, don't get too attached to that cat! We came here to help watch kids, not…."

"But, Ralph, one reason for having this party was to adopt out some pets! And we've got nothing. Now that Kevin's gone to live with Alicia, it's too quiet at the house. We could get this little guy, and when Rufus has to stay at our place while we're working on one of Bill's scenarios, they'd both have someone to play with!" She said it all in a rush, as if trying to get it all out before he could nay-say her idea. She didn't know why, but this kitten had really got to her deep inside. Ever since she'd lost Lefty, she'd felt an aching need for another feline companion. Seeing this older kitten had clinched it. He wasn't so young that he'd need a lot of attention, but wasn't so old that he couldn't form a real bond with her. Oh, and maybe Ralph too, she thought. But he'd be _her_ kitten!

Ralph didn't answer for a few moments, so Pam watched him, knowing he was weighing the decision in his mind. She absentmindedly continued to scrub the kitten with her fingertips, and his purring got even louder, as if saying to Ralph, _Please, please, Man, let me go with her! She is the one I've been waiting for, please please please!_

The kitten added a sweet rolling trill to the vibrations against the cage bars, and Pam said, "Ooh, Ralph, just listen to him! He's a talker! I love cats that talk a lot. He's purring and buzzing to beat the bank! He and I can have great discussions when you're gone off somewhere with Bill. See? That's another good reason to get him! I bet he's smart enough to be a good watch-cat too!"

"Watch-cat?" Bill said from behind them. He had Rufus in his arms once more, and the teenager trailed behind with Candee. The two puppies were close enough to lick one another, as if renewing their bond.

"Bill, bring Rufus over here, I want him to meet someone," Pam said.

As he came up beside Pam, he peered into the darker cage. "What's this guy's name?"

"I don't know, he hasn't told me yet," Pam said. "I'm waiting for Ralph to decide if I can bring this handsome boy home or not."

"Yeah, Bill, it never occurred to me that when we agreed to help chaperone that _Pam_ would be the one adopting a pet. Hold Rufus up here, let's hear his opinion. They may have to get to know one another for when Rufus comes over to stay occasionally."

_Ew, CATS!_ Was all Rufus could say when he was put almost nose-to-nose with the kitten. The kitten was non-chalant as they met, not even puffing his tail. Rufus could sense his sister's wagging tail, as she "laughed."

_He's not so bad, Brother. He's one of the better ones. Louise lets us play even! He may be smaller and weaker than us, but he's a real scrapper. He and I get into some great battles!_

_You fight? With a CAT?_ He asked her in amazement.

Candee smiled and wagged even harder, shaking in the girl's arms. _Oh, yes! You've never play-fought with a cat? It's a real blast! And this one, he's nice. He could claw me to shreds but he doesn't. He always keeps his claws in, so I don't bite him too hard. We come out even-steven usually. Louise laughs and laughs, like Humans do – not having a tail – so Cat and I know it's okay._

_Wow, playing with a cat. I thought they were just good for chasing and barking at!_

_You were gone so young,_ Candee said sadly, _that you never learned how much fun cats can be._

The older kitten, fearing his (hopefully) new Human was going to walk away, yowled for her attention. Pam turned to face him, startled at the volume from such a little kitten.

She stuck her fingers through the bars, and resumed the scritching. His purring soon drew Ralph's attention as well.

"So, Rufus seems to approve," Pam observed, looking slyly at her husband.

"That he does, Pam," Ralph conceded reluctantly. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea after all, giving Pam someone to talk to, and Rufus to play with, when he and Bill were gone. "All right, all right, we'll take him home. He'll be _your_ cat, though, so you're the one who's going to take care of him!"

"Of course!" Pam said, turning toward Louise. "Louise, can I get him? I want to adopt him!"

"Oh, that's great, Pam! And I already know I like you and Ralph, or you wouldn't have brought Rufus home all those months ago. Go with my assistant here, and she'll let you know what you'll have to do."

Candee and Rufus were getting antsy, so Bill and the girl led them outside on their leashes so they could use the facilities.

The girl shyly looked at him as they tended to their charges. She's a quiet one, Bill thought.

"So, you wanted to spend Hallowe'en here, instead of out with your friends?" he asked, making polite conversation.

"Yes, sir, I come here whenever I can after school. I'm going to be a vet some day!" she added proudly.

"Good, good. Great to see a good kid like you with a goal in mind."

"So you named your puppy 'Rufus?' That's a great name for him, he _looks_ like a Rufus, doesn't he? With that red hair?"

"My friend Mrs. Hinkley named him, actually, but it fit him perfectly, so I went with it. And now she's got a cat to be his pal when he visits their house. He goes over a lot, when Mr. Hinkley and I are, um, working on stuff together."

He looked behind them, toward the building. "That cat's something else. It looked like it had a white goatee!"

The girl laughed, "Yeah, he's a sweetie. I bet Louise is glad he's finding a good home. She's so good at picking the right people to adopt our animals. She makes sure, before the animal goes, that there's a real connection there, and I can tell Mrs. Hinkley and Boots will be good friends."

"Boots? That's what you call him?"

"Seems too obvious, doesn't it? But what else could we call him, with those perfectly white boots on his paws? All of him black but his nose, chin, chest and paws. He _does_ look like he's in a tux, doesn't he?"

"How's he get along with dogs? He was unphased when he met my Rufus."

"He and Candee roughhouse during playtime. Louise trusts them alone most of the time now, as they tear around the place. Early in the morning, when it's still quiet, she lets certain animals out into the main hallway, a few at a time, to get exercise and socialize."

The puppies had finished their business, and exploring the immediate area with their snouts, and were led back inside. Bill arrived in time to see Louise take Boots from his cage, and present him to his new Human. She carefully watched the two get closer, always sensitive to the animal's reaction and judging if it would be a worthy companionship.

Boots immediately began buzzing, stropping his head against Pam's chin, happy-pawing her shoulder and upper chest.

"My goodness, I've never seen an older kitten take to someone so quickly, Pam! You two are a real pair it looks like!"

"_Oh, this is GREAT!"_ Boots yowled aloud, kneading and pawing on Pam's thin shoulder. He trilled and purred at the same time, feeling Pam's chuckle in response. _Dog, this one's a keeper, I love her I love her I love her! She's the bestest Human EVER!_

_No, MY Bill is the bestest Human ever!_ Rufus growled happily, to get his Bill's attention.

Bill looked down at him, startled; his puppy was staring up at Pam and Boots having their initial meeting. The puppy's tail was wagging at the same time.

"He's growling and wagging at the same time? That's weird! Pam, I think he's telling Boots, 'you'd better watch out, I'm keeping an eye on you!'"

"Boots? That's his name? It's _perfect!_"

"Yes, that's what we've been calling him," Louise admitted with a grin.

Pam pulled the kitten away from her, so she could look him square in the eyes. The kitten continued to happy-paw the air, he was so overcome with joy.

"Hello, Boots! My name is Pam!"

_Pam, Pam, Pam,_ he said to Rufus and Candee. _MY Pam!_ He pawed and trilled even more, as if acknowledging her greeting.

"I like Boots, but I think I'll call you…," And she looked at Bill, smiling, "Boots Maxwell FBI!"

Ralph and Bill doubled over laughing, as Pam expected.

"He'll be Rufus Maxwell's kitty cousin, so Boots Maxwell FBI it is!"

The girl brought a cardboard cat carrier to Louise, along with paperwork. They got the transaction of adoption done quickly, managed to coax Boots Maxwell FBI into the carrier, and were ready to leave for the evening.

"I'll bring the kids home in the van, Pam and Ralph, don't you two worry about it. I know them all and have their folks' phone numbers, so I'll call them to let them know when they'll be back. Thanks so much for coming, and adopting one of our animals! I can't think of a better home for Boots, and I can already tell he loves you very much!"

As the adults, Boots and Rufus turned to leave, Candee whined from where she stood by the girl. Rufus turned toward the sound of her, and pulled, telling Bill he had to say goodbye to his sister once again.

_Sis, I hate having to leave you here! I wish Unc' Ralph and Aunt Pam could have gotten you instead of that dumb cat!_

_It's okay, Brother. It's not so bad here, really, like I said. Louise is great and I love her, and I'm glad you've got a good home and your Bill. You weren't here very long, so you were scared most of the time, 'cept with me and the other brothers and sisters. They've all found good Humans, too, like Louise knew they would. I'm just waiting for the perfect Human to come through those doors and make me his or her own puppy. I know it'll happen, I just know it!_

The two touched nose to nose one last time, and Rufus reluctantly obeyed Bill when he was commanded to "come."

"It's like they know they're having to say goodbye again," Louise said, a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Yeah, looks like it, huh?" Bill said, watching Rufus slowly turn to him to heel. "Maybe me and Ralph can pop by again soon, so they can play some more. I think Rufus and Boots will be friends, but he'd love to have another dog to wrassle with, especially his sister."

"That'd be fine, Mr. Maxwell, any time. Early morning on a Saturday is good, when it's pretty quiet outside."

"We'll see you then, thanks."

The Hinkleys were dropped off by Bill and Rufus, with their new charge. It didn't take Boots Maxwell FBI and Rufus long to become friends, partly based on Candee's glowing recommendation, even if Boots was a cat. The two would play, eat and sleep together, left on their own while the Hinkleys and Bill worked on cases together.

One time, soon after the Humans drove off in Bill's car, Boots turned to Rufus.

_You know, Dog, there's something weird about these Humans. I saw something I've never seen a Human do before. I wasn't sure what to think, so I cleaned myself and went to sleep instead._

_Figures. What'd you see?_

_Well, NOTHING. Pam's Ralph just vanished. I could smell him and hear him, but I couldn't SEE him!_

_You dumb cat, Humans don't do that!_

_I KNOW, but my Pam's Ralph did do it! I promise!_

_Right. C'mon, I need to beat you up._

_In your fantasies, maybe._

(Postscript: What became of Candee, Rufus' sister? Well, soon after Hallowe'en, in time for the follwing year's hunting season, she was adopted by a man from Beverly Hills, who knew more about good hunting dogs than anyone in Southern California. A good, rich old man, who trained her properly on being a hunter. He had a kind daughter who loved critters, too, but he made it clear to his girl that this was _his_ dog, now that his beloved Duke was gone. The puppy even learned to swim, in the cement pond, when she'd practice fetching waterfowl. But that's another story.)

(I hope "and her magical cat roscoe" doesn't mind my expanding Rufus' family a bit in this little story!)


End file.
